Inoubliable
by gracesane
Summary: Sirius and Regulus. Two brothers joined by blood but separated by circumstances. Each fighting for their dignity. Each fighting for love. They just didn't know that they were both fighting for the same girl. This love thing was harder than they thought.
1. Prologue

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_Disclaimer: Everything and everybody belongs to J.K. Rowling, not me. Well ok, not everything and everybody…but a lot of it is hers._

_AN: This is a __**REDO**_**. **_I'm redoing Escaping Fate. Why? Frankly, the original version makes me cringe, curl up into a ball and cry. This story is now called Inoubliable (in case you haven't noticed)_

_There is few lines of French in this. If you know French, then I'm sorry you have to read through my lousy French. If you don't know French, I provide translation at the bottom in fairly chronological order._

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Debt is the slavery of the free – Publilius Syrus

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**Prologue**

_January 23, 1958_

It was a peculiarly sunny day for January. The sun reflected off the snow banks, making the town seem surreally bright. A few clouds floated overhead. They were dark and smoky, but no one paid any attention to them. They were too busy. There were people heading to work, kissing their spouses on the cheek before leaving home. There were young children flinging snow at each other and building snowmen. There were couples shopping.

That morning, the newly wedded Mr. and Mrs. Lévesque were on their honeymoon in Great Britain. They were one of the couples shopping. From any common person's point of view, the couple was just a plain couple–holding hands, blond hair rustling in the gently breeze.

Unbeknownst to the ordinary people of London, the couple wasn't an ordinary couple. Not in muggle London. Mr. Lévesque, the strong, tall man with silver blond hair was a wizard. His wife, who was a petite flax blonde, was a witch.

_But_, like all other couples on a honeymoon to a foreign country, they had no idea where they were going. And Mr. Lévesque was making it worse by refusing to ask for directions. Mrs. Lévesque wasn't complaining though. The more they wandered, the more shopping she would be able to do. And boy, did she _love_ shopping.

"Oh, Guillaume!" She pulled her husband toward a boutique window. "_Regarde!_" She was staring at a pretty mirror, which she knew would match perfectly with her new home. Her new _château_! She was thrilled at the size of her new antediluvian castle. Her house was large to begin with, being a manor and all, but it didn't compare with an actual castle. It was a fairytale come true.

She looked at her husband with large eyes. "_Ça serait magnifique, non_?" She was referring to the gold trim, the pretty sheen, the overall shimmering. She enjoyed shimmering.

A rush of wind blew by them, causing Mrs. Coralie Lévesque to shiver. It was freezing outside, and she had thought she could bear it. It was, after all, the price to pay for a winter wedding. Snow and ice had settled on the ground during winter, like all other winters. The sun was dimming in the sky, like all other winters. It was like all other winters: average. Suddenly Coralie wished her winter vacation would be exciting. She wanted adventure with her husband. How romantic.

"Guillaume!" her soft voice fluttered in the wind, sounding like a sigh more than anything else. "_Faisons quelque choses dangereux_!" Her husband gave her a look. It was a what-are-you-thinking look. But it was also filled with the sweetness of a new husband's gaze. "_Il me plairait._"

Guillaume sighed. He looked down at her, his head shaking, and said, "_Qu'est-ce que tu veux faire_?"

"_Je ne sais pas_!" Coralie took her husband's hand and swung it before her. She was itching to do something dangerous, something that made adrenaline rush through her body. "_Quelque chose_!"

"Coralie," Guillaume sighed at her, a fond look upon his face. "_Viens. Marchons. On pourrait faire quelque chose délassant._"

"_Mais, Guillaume._" She looked up at her husband with large doe eyes. "_Nous sommes à London_!"

Coralie knew that her begging had worn him down. The little crinkling of his nose, the way his brow furrowed in thought. Yes, Guillaume would definitely allow her an adventure.

"_Après déjeuner._"

"_Merci!" _She smiled at him, showing her pearly white teeth in a blinding show. She really was lucky to have such a husband. Handsome, smart, and generous. Willing to do anything for her. She leaned up to give him a quick kiss.

"_De rien." _The sound of his sonorous chuckling made her cheeks blush rouge, even more so than the freezing weather. "_Viens. Maintenant, nous allons manger."_Her husband, the epitome of princelihood, offered her his arm, which she of course took, and led her through the streets of London to a street called Charing Cross Road.

Charing Cross was a crowded street, filled not only with buildings but teeming with people as well. People poured out of _there_, and _there_ and even _there. _As people ventured in and out of the little bakery, an aroma so heavenly, so _délicieux_, captured Coralie's appetite that she almost stopped in the middle of the street, tripping when Guillaume continued to pull her along. There was this one shop- the record store. It played music using this…this _magical_ technological item. Gizmos and gadgets galore. There were these things called the fellytone- oh! Telephone! It was telephone! – that allowed people to talk to other people without sticking their heads in a flaming fireplace.

Much to her disappointment, Guillaume did not bring her to the bakery or the record store or the vintage shop or the boutique. She was led to a slightly dingy looking building called _The Leaky Cauldron._ No, the inside was not much more elegant. It was less so if that was even possible. This bar was filled with wizards and other magical folk. It was dirty, yes, but it was the portal to the wizarding portion of London: Diagon Alley.

One walk through the frigid courtyard, three up and two across, and three taps later, Mr. and Mrs. Lévesque were in Diagon Alley, surrounded by wizards and witches. It was very charming. Walking farther, they noticed an empty street, or rather, empty streets.

"_Où sommes-nous?" _Coralie's grip on Guillaume tightened.

"_Je ne sais pas." _He reciprocated the motion, causing unnecessary butterflies in Coralie's stomach.

As they walked farther and farther into the chilly, dark streets, Coralie became more and more on edge. The shadows seemed to jump off the walls, following them, tracking their every move.

"_Reste ici._"

Her husband rubbed her arm reassuringly before walking into a rather creepy store called _Borgin and Burkes._ She watched as he veered around the multiple macabre items scattered around the store – a skull, an eerily beautiful necklace – and walked up to a man working behind the counter.

"Well, well." Coralie's blood froze. "What do we have here?" She reached for her wand. "Don't even think about it," the rough voice said as she felt a wand stick into her back, pushing her toward an empty alley. The kidnapper – what else could he be? – had a tight grip on her arm.

"Coralie?" Guillaume's voice was soaked in worry and panic.

Coralie gathered all her energy, ready to scream. "Guilla-"

"_Silencio_."

"Coralie! Coralie!" He was so close to her, but he couldn't see her, couldn't hear her.

"Now, you're going to tell me what I want to know."

She had to think of the quickest, safest way out of there. She had to get back to Guillaume.

Her knee collided with the man holding her hostage, causing him to swear. She didn't stop to see if he was ok. She didn't want to see if he was ok. She ran forward to where she hoped Guillaume was looking for her.

Her hopes were dashed when she ran into another man, not too much older than her. He grabbed her, but instead of forcing her back to who she assumed was his accomplice, he pushed her behind his back into Guillaume's open arms. But she wasn't safe yet. Guillaume's fierce expression and his wand pointed at the kidnapper told her that much.

"_Av-"_

Her saviour was still fighting._"Expelliarmus!" _It was followed by _"Stupefy!"_

Another swish of a wand, this time her husband's allowed Coralie to gush many "_mercies_".

Her life was safe because of one man to whom she was now fatefully linked.

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Sorry, my French may have sucked, I'm a bit rusty on grammar (since we don't actually speak French in French class). Good news: I finally fit Advanced French into my schedule for next year! :)

Translation for French:

_Regard – _Look

_Château_ – Castle

_Ça serait magnifique, non?_– It would be magnificent, no ?

_Faisons quelque choses dangereux_ – Let's do something dangerous

_Il me plairait._ – It would please me

_Qu'est-ce que tu veux faire –_ What do you want to do ?

_Je ne sais pas_! – I don't know!

_Viens. Marchons. On pourrait faire quelque chose délassant –_ Come. Let's walk. We could do something relaxing.

_Mais, Guillaume._- But Guillaume

_Nous sommes à London_! – We are in London !

_Après déjeuner._- After lunch.

_Merci! _– Thank you

_De rien._ – You're welcome

_Viens. Maintenant, nous allons manger. _– Come. Now we will eat.

_Où sommes-nous?_ – Where are we ?

_Reste ici._ –Stay here.

Before I forget, Read&Review


	2. One: Toujours Pur

AN: Third time's the charm. (:

Yes, this is my third time writing this story (the first I deleted thinking it'd be bad, and the second is _Escaping Fate_). I don't know what to say other than just read it!

Disclaimer: After writing this same story a billion times, these characters should be mine, but they're not. They're J.K. Rowling's!

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_"Other things may change us, but we start and end with family"_ - Anthony Brandt

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I. Toujours Pur

He knocked on the closed mahogany door leading to his brother's room. Both of their doors looked identical, with the exception of their names, but his brother's door always seemed more intimidating. He was the older brother after all.

No one answered but there was certainly someone inside of the room. He could hear the scratching of a quill and the shuffling of a chair. So, he cracked the door open, only just a little, but enough to alert his brother to his entrance.

"Reggie?" his brother said, not looking particularly happy. His annoyance wasn't directed at Regulus, but rather, at an innocuous piece of parchment in front of him. "What are you doing in here?"

"Mum told me you weren't busy." Regulus sat down on his brother's usually spacious bed which was currently occupied by many large trunks. "I wanted to say goodbye."

"I'm not leaving until tomorrow." Sirius rolled his eyes although he was still mulling over the parchment. "You know that, right?"

"Of course," Regulus exclaimed. "I'm ten, not an idiot."

Regulus wasn't stupid. He just wanted to spend some time with Sirius before he left for Hogwarts. It was strange to spend every day of his life looking up to his smooth and confident older brother, only to have Sirius leave him behind while he goes off to Hogwarts. Regulus wasn't afraid of being at home without Sirius. He knew that there was a lot to do at home, being tutored included. No, he was afraid that Sirius would find a new brother at Hogwarts, someone who would replace Regulus. Or, even worse, someone who was even better than Regulus – cooler, more fun, all around better than him.

"Then what are you doing saying goodbye right now?"

"I have lessons tomorrow. Mum won't allow me skip them to go to the station with you."

"Sounds exactly like Mum," Sirius grinned winsomely. "Come here, Reg. I need help with this."

Regulus eagerly pushed himself off of the bed, excited to help with something important to Sirius. He hoped that by doing what Sirius did, one day, he would be just as great as him.

"Mum told me to write this girl, but I don't know what to say."

"But you're great with girls." Regulus was perplexed. Whenever there was a function of some sort, everyone fawned over Sirius, calling him handsome, and truly Black. And Sirius soaked up the attention, shining in it. Regulus was the less noticed, therefore less attractive, Black. He was always sitting in the corner, babysat by some old ladies while Sirius happily paraded around the room. At times, Regulus was jealous, but he loved Sirius and knew Sirius would never hurt his feelings on purpose.

"But I don't know this one! She could be as weird as that one girl with the crooked eye and creepy smile."

"If you don't know her, just introduce yourself," Regulus said, thinking it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"But that sounds boring. I'll sound boring."

"Do you have a better idea?"

Regulus watched as Sirius' face lit up, then dimmed into a scowl. "No."

Sirius's quill began scratching away at the parchment, creating a steady rhythm in the otherwise quiet room. Regulus reclined onto Sirius' bed and enjoyed the last moments he had with his brother.

Sirius was the pride and joy of the house. He was the first-born, the one who would carry on the family honour, the one who would inherit the house and all the money in Gringrotts. The house would be dreadfully boring without Sirius's pranks and witty remarks. He was adventurous – something Regulus was not. Sirius was perfect. Absolutely, perfect, and Regulus was just his lackey.

Of course, there was nothing wrong with being a lackey, as long as said lackey had a hero to stick by. Regulus fulfilled his duty by aiding Sirius in his plans, mostly by being the distraction. But the moment Sirius went off to Hogwarts would be the moment Regulus lost his hero, and became nothing. He had no hero to follow. At least not until both brothers were together in Slytherin next year.

"Ok, Reggie. How does this sound?"

"_August 30, 1971_

"_Dear Miss Lévesque,_

"_My parents have encouraged me to write this letter to you because they believe that interacting with people from other countries would, as they say, 'do me a world of good.' I'm sure there is another more reasonable explanation for why I have to write his letter to a girl I don't even know, but my pestering hasn't irritated them to the point where they'd tell me._

"_I'm Sirius Black, age 11, and I will soon be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You probably know all about it, considering it's the most prestigious school on this planet. I cannot speak for other planets since I haven't been to any._

"_As lovely as this introduction was, I have to pack for Hogwarts._

"_It was nice __meeting you __writing this letter to you,_

"_Sirius Black."_

"Sounds fine," Regulus said, yawning. He really didn't want to go to sleep, hoping to stay up with Sirius instead.

"You should get going to bed, Reg." Sirius ruffled his little brother's hair affectionately. Regulus would miss times like this - where Sirius wasn't being an overly rambunctious prankster. Regulus almost dared to hope that Sirius would stay with him for the year, at home, where both could have fun together. But he didn't dare for the fear that his dreams would shatter.

Regulus looked at the clock on the wall and noticed that yes, it was time for bed. He jumped off of Sirius' bed, drowsy, and gave his older brother a hug. He felt Sirius' arms wrap around him and barely heard him say "Goodnight."

"Promise you'll write to me every day," he mumbled as Sirius once again ruffled his hair.

"Sure. Anything you say."

Regulus went to bed, instantly falling asleep as soon as his head touched his pillow. When he awoke, Sirius was gone, as were most of his belongings. He wrote every day, sending letters via owl to Hogwarts, but his family's owl never returned with a letter for him.

Yet, he knew everything that happened at Hogwarts. He listened as his parents heatedly discussed Sirius, his sorting into _Gryffindor_ – not Slytherin, as planned – his friendship with the muggle-loving James Potter – which according to his cousins was as strong as a brother's bond – and other many complications that revolved around Sirius. Regulus found no fault with Sirius being in Gryffindor; Sirius was still Sirius. But, Regulus couldn't help but be jealous of that Potter fellow, no matter how much he mattered to Sirius.

Months passed, each bringing no letters from Sirius, and Regulus felt betrayed. His brother had changed for the worse. He broke his promises and forgot his family. That wasn't the Sirius he knew.

* * *

Regulus sat at his desk, an unfinished letter lying on its surface. He tapped his fingers on the wood, as he read through his last letter to Sirius, unsent like all his others. He found it hard writing letters to a brother who never wrote back. Sirius hadn't written once during his months at Hogwarts. He hadn't even come home for Christmas. He was probably too busy with his new friends, friends that replaced Regulus.

Still, Regulus couldn't help but hope that perhaps when Sirius came back home today, everything would be as it was before. Just the two Black Brothers, being mischievous together. It might have been a convoluted hope, but it was _his_ convoluted hope.

"Regulus?" He heard his mother's voice followed by a soft knocking. "There's one more thing you need to do before your brother returns," she said, entering his room and gracefully gliding toward his desk.

"Of course, Mum" he said, sliding his copy of _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_ over his unfinished letter, sufficiently hiding it from his mother's view.

His mother, Walburga Black, was a rather tall woman, with curly long black hair, and olive tan skin. She was probably the nicest woman in the family. While it was painstakingly obvious that his father loved Sirius better than him, Regulus could never tell if his mother preferred Sirius. As far as he could tell, his mother loved them both equally, an assumption that Regulus was grateful for.

"Regulus, my friend's daughter is about your age. I don't believe you know her, for she lives in France. I think it would be prudent for you to write her a letter offering your friendship. Hmm?"

"Of course, Mum," he repeated with a sigh. He'd rather not write a letter. With his luck, he'd never get one back. However, if his mother wanted him to write a letter, he would.

"Her name is Adèle Lévesque, and I believe she's a year younger than you. I honestly think you'll two get along fine since she's such a sweet girl and you're a sweet boy."

Regulus involuntarily flushed at the compliment, not used to receiving them.

"Alright, Mum. I'll write that now."

"Good, Regulus, dear." Regulus watched as his mother walked away from him to the door. She froze, her hand on the doorknob, and said, almost wistfully, "You really are a sweet boy. If only you could stay like this forever."

She left, leaving Regulus more than a little confused. He decided to cast aside his confusion to do more productive things, such as writing a letter to that girl, Adèle Lévesque.

_June 20, 1972_

_Dear Miss Adèle Lévesque,_

_It's a pleasure to write to you. My name is Regulus Arcturus Black, and I was born on August 12, 1961. Although I'm sure you can do the math, I feel it necessary to tell you that I'm ten, soon-to-be eleven._

_I've written enough about myself, for I don't want you to think me rude. I'd rather you tell me about yourself. For instance, how old are you, or what do you like to do for entertainment?_

_I hope you'll write back soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Mister Regulus Arcturus Black _

After reading the letter once through, Regulus decided that his letter was acceptable and folded the parchment for later. Theron, his parent's masked own, would deliver it at some point during the evening.

Regulus spent the rest of his afternoon lying on his black duvet, engulfed by the soft feather pillows. Tonight, Sirius would return, and only Merlin knew what would happen then.

* * *

"Reg. Reg, come on!"

Only a few minutes earlier their father, Orion Black, and Sirius had flooed in from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Apparition wards existed around 12 Grimmauld Place since the Blacks have lived there. Otherwise, Regulus would have had to deal with Sirius earlier.

"Reggie! You can't stay mad at me forever!"

As soon as he returned home, Sirius had burst into Regulus' room, bright eyed and bushy tailed, replete with stories of his first year at Hogwarts. He had burst into a story, and had only noticed moments before that Regulus was not listening. Serves Sirius right for not even writing back! For abandoning him! For finding another brother! For ruining any chances they had of being together next year!

"Reg, please?"

Regulus glanced at his brother, who was now sitting at the foot of his bed, giving him the saddest puppy dog eyes ever seen. Regulus couldn't hold onto his anger at Sirius. He never could.

"Fine," Regulus sighed, sitting up. "How was it?" he grudgingly asked.

"Reggie, it's better than either of us ever imagined." Sirius had that starry look in his eyes once again. "You wouldn't even believe me if I told you about all the things that happen."

"Try me," Regulus challenged.

"Before I even stepped foot on Hogwarts' grounds, I met someone who I knew would be my best friend for life." Regulus frowned at Sirius' statement, but allowed him to continue. "You wouldn't believe the crazy things James and I did, all against Remus' advice of course!"

"Dad says the Potter's are a bunch of blood-traitors."

Sirius paused, looking at him with a mixture of anger and pity. "They're not. Just because the entire family thinks something doesn't mean it's right."

"But–"

"Reg," Sirius said, running his hand through his hair. "Once you get out there, you'll understand. There's more to life than being in Slytherin."

Regulus almost felt the need to point out that he wanted to be in Slytherin, but didn't. Despite the many similarities they shared, sometimes, Sirius just didn't understand him well at all.

"You know what?" Sirius leaned back and lay down on the bed, his arms behind his head. "Actually, forget it. You'll see in September." He closed his eyes, his face the perfect paradigm of relaxation. "Trust me, you'll see, Reg."

"Sirius?" Regulus ventured, unwilling to disturb his brother's peace. "What if we're not together next year?"

Sirius opened one eye, peering at Regulus with amusement. "We'll both be at Hogwarts, won't we? That's together."

"But what if we don't talk to one another? What if we never even see each other?"

"If you're in Gryffindor, we'll be together all the time," Sirius responded, closing his eye again, not the least bit concerned. However, Regulus was very concerned.

"What if the Sorting Hat doesn't put me in Gryffindor?"

"Reg," Sirius sighed, sitting up and looking at him with exasperation. "If you ask it to, it will. And even if you're not in Gryffindor, I'll always be your big brother. I'll always be there for you."

There was finality in his statement that caused Regulus to sit quietly and just listen to Sirius talk about Hogwarts until he was sleepy and slipped into his own bed, hopeful and nervous simultaneously.

xx

Regulus was fidgeting again and he knew it. He chanced a side glance at the boy on his right, just to check if he was fidgeting as well. Sirius was the picture perfect model. His long black hair, in need of a trim, still managed to fall perfectly around his face. His dress robes were wrinkle free and fit him perfectly. Regulus looked down at his own dress robes which seemed to choke him.

"How much longer do you think?" Sirius whispered to him.

"I don't know," he whispered back, hoping this whole affair was over soon. They were both socially obligated to go to an event they didn't care to sit through: Bella's wedding.

Both boys looked toward the centre of the room, where their cousin was dancing with a burly, dark-haired man. He looked uncomfortable being the centre of attention, especially while dancing. Regulus noted that Rodolphus Lestrange was still lacking in dancing skills. Nonetheless, Bella didn't seem to care, and his face lit up every time she laughed.

Bella, at twenty, almost twenty-one, was the eldest of the Blacks and by some standards should have been married a long time ago. Not that she was by any means old. Rather, she and Rodolphus were a long time coming. They had been friends for as long as Regulus could remember.

"I can't believe she's actually getting married to him." Sirius continued to stare at the pair.

"I know. I was starting to think it was never going to happen."

"What are you talking about?" Sirius turned toward Regulus sharply. "I was hoping it wouldn't happen. I just can't believe everyone was in on it!"

"Why not? They love each other, right?"

For a moment, Sirius just stared at Regulus, an incredulous expression on his visage. Somehow, even shocked, Sirius managed to retain that sophisticated Black air about him. And then, his face transformed into a grin as his eyes focused on something behind Regulus' head.

Regulus startled when he felt a hand ruffle his hair. Turning back, he found Bella's younger sisters. Andy and Cissy looked exactly like their older sister, only Andy was shorter, and Cissy was blonde and fair. Both girls were wearing matching black bridesmaids dresses, their hair pulled up in bouncing curls.

"Bored yet, boys?" Andy asked, smiling. Andy was nineteen, out of Hogwarts for two years now. She was Sirius' favourite for she always seemed to be in on his pranks; she always approved of his schemes and fostered all of his notions, a guardian of sorts, protecting him from punishments. "Have any schemes to liven things up?" She was directing the conversation at Sirius.

Sirius glanced as Cissy and quickly protested. "Of course not! We wouldn't dream of it!"

"Of course not," Cissy said doubtfully, before sitting in the unoccupied chair to Regulus' left. Andy sat down on Sirius' right. While Andy seemed to favour Sirius, Cissy preferred Regulus, which always surprised him. Regulus thought everyone preferred Sirius, but Cissy was the exception.

"You are having fun, aren't you, Regulus?" Cissy, seventeen and in her last year of Hogwarts, asked him, while Andy and Sirius took up their own conversation to his right.

"I suppose."

"You suppose?" She said in a teasing tone. Her crystal blue eyes sparkled and danced, and Regulus suspected she had spent much of the evening dancing with many of her suitors. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sirius and Andy stand up and move to the other end of the great hall. He looked back at Cissy, who extended her hand toward him. "Dance with me. You have to dance at least once at your cousin's wedding."

He allowed himself to be pulled onto the dance floor by Cissy. He was shorter than her, making him feel awkward, but she didn't seem to mind dancing with her ten-almost-eleven-year-old cousin.

"Have you been practicing, Regulus?"

He blushed at the question and nodded yes. He, like all other purebloods, had dancing lessons. His first lesson was disastrous, nothing like Sirius'. He remembered the stark contrast between Sirius' first dance lesson and his own. Whereas Sirius was elegant, graceful, absolutely regal, Regulus was clumsy, like a commoner. However, with time and a bit of practice, Regulus had gradually become a very graceful dancer – never as graceful as Sirius, but graceful enough.

"I've heard something quite interesting recently," Cissy whispered in an almost sing-song voice. Almost, being the operative word. It would have been extremely inappropriate if she, a high member of society, had actually sung her words like a child in a grand hall of other society members.

"Really Narcissa?" He addressed her formally; after all, it wouldn't do for him to call her Cissy in public. "What might that be?"

"Something from your mother, actually." She still had that playfully teasing tone. "Something about someone."

"That's not very helpful," he replied.

"This morning, while you were at our manor with the other groomsmen, your mother got a letter from a Miss _Lévesque_." She made sure she emphasized the name in that same teasing manner.

"Really?" he tried to sound nonchalant, but he was sure she could pick up on the anticipation in his voice. Miss Lévesque was his first real friend since Sirius didn't count, being his brother and all. Honestly, he looked forward to having her little grey owl flutter around his room every other morning, a letter in his talons.

"Yes," Cissy said in an I-know-something-you-don't-know tone. "She gave it to me. I could give it to you if you want."

"Yes, please."

Cissy led him to an empty corner of the ballroom, before pulling his letter out of her clutch.

"Here you go." She handed him the envelope with one of her sweet smiles. "Don't spend too much time mulling over it. There's a party to attend to." And with that she stood and found Lucius.

As soon as she was out of his sight, swirling around the room in one Lucius Malfoy' arms, Regulus tore open the envelope and skimmed through the contents of the letter.

_August 10__th__, 1972_

_Dear Mr. Regulus Arcturus Black,_

Already two months into their friendship and they still addressed each other with full names.

_It seems to me that you have been very busy these past few days. Tell your cousin congratulations for me. I hope she and her husband have a wonderful marriage._

He looked up and quickly spotted Bella and Rodolphus, the new Mr. and Mrs. Lestrange still dancing on the floor. He frowned, thinking about Sirius' earlier comments. It was arranged, planned since both of them were born. Was it possible that Bella and Rodolphus didn't love each other at all?

_No, I have not read _The Shadow of the Runespoor. _Is that the latest installment of Elmira Marikina's _Validito's Glory_ series? I must tell my parents to buy it for me. I love Marikina's novels. While you are suggesting books to me, I also want to suggest books to you. _The Silver King_ by Darius Quetta is a quick read. Also, if you are looking for a denser read, I recently read this profound short novel called _The Last Day of a Comdamned Man_ by Victor Hugo._

Regulus recognized the name Quetta, having seen it before in _The Prophet_ as the next greatest young adult writer. The man from the East supposedly had a way with words that rivaled that of even the most famous writers. Hugo on the other hand was a completely foreign name. It was probably some French author, which would explain why he didn't know him.

_I find it better to be early than late, I have decided to wish you a happy birthday sooner rather than later. That and I would like to be the first one to wish you a great birthday. Happy eleventh birthday, Mr. Black. Do not forget, chocolate cake is always the best for birthdays!_

He smiled. She was the first one to wish him a happy birthday. He chose to ignore the fact that his birthday was still a day away.

_Sincerely,_

_Miss Adèle Nicolette Lévesque._

* * *

Regulus awoke and immediately registered that today was his eleventh birthday. A few bleary moments later, he registered it was still very dark, and then that someone was crying loudly in the house. _Mother_.

He ran out of bed, into the hall, and down many flights of stairs, his eyes and ears straining to find his mother. He found her crying her heart out in on the first floor in front of Grimmauld Place, her wand shaking in her hand, pointing at a smoking tapestry.

"The blood traitor!" Regulus winced as Bella, wearing her night gown, hair wild, eyes even wilder, screeched at the burnt hole. "She just went off and married that Tonks fellow! That mudblood."

Regulus paled, looking at the grim faces around him. His mum and dad, his uncle and aunt, his brother, his cousins, and Rodolphus, all standing there, stared at what should have been the face of Andy. He stood there in shock, not believing Andy was gone. He must be having a nightmare.

"What?" he breathed, causing everyone's heads to turn toward him. He was painfully aware that he was standing in front of all the Blacks, save one, while wearing his pajamas.

"Cissy, take Sirius and Regulus back to bed, please," his Aunt Druella quietly murmured. Her eyes, glistening with pools of unshed tears, were fixed upon the tapestry.

Cissy stepped forward out of the crowd of adults, though she was technically an adult herself. Her blonde hair was pulled into a loose bun, wisps falling out, sticking up. Cissy never looked unkempt, and her red puffy eyes pulled Regulus out of his shock. She grabbed his hand tightly and pulled Sirius and him out of the drawing room and upstairs into Regulus' room, before letting go and plopping down uncharacteristically on his bed. She trembled, sitting on his bed, her head in her hands.

"Cissy?" Regulus whispered, afraid to scare her, afraid to get too close. "Cissy?"

"I can't believe she would do that. I can't believe she'd run away without telling anyone." She shuddered as a sob escaped her lips. "She turned her back on everything we are."

"You mean purebloods? Bigots?" Sirius said sharply. "If I were her, I would have run away too."

Cissy looked up in shock. "What are you talking about?"

"She ran away with the guy because she loves him. She's in a love with a muggleborn, and she knew that her family wouldn't approve. She didn't want our family of prejudiced pureblood supremacists to take away what she loved."

"Sirius," Regulus whispered. "Stop. Do you even know what you're saying?"

"Yes. This family is-"

"Sirius." Cissy cut him off. "If you care at all for your family, you'll stop talking."

"But-"

"Maybe you're too young to understand this but it's not just what Andy did, it's what she didn't do."

"But-" Sirius tried to speak again.

"But, you should still be in bed. Go on Sirius, I'll tuck Reg back in."

Regulus watched as Sirius scowled and marched out of his bedroom with a final glance back. Without a doubt, he would be furious tomorrow – or later today.

"Cissy?" he whispered as he got into his bed. "What's going to happen?"

She looked at him, her eyes still brimming with tears, drying streaks of past tears trailing down her face. "I don't know. But, don't worry, I'll be here if you need me. You're family will always be here."

He eventually drifted off to sleep wondering how Andy could every run away if her family would always be there.

* * *

That's it. Chapter One of _Inoubliable_. Right there. I had to stop it somewhere, and thought this was a good spot. More will be coming (hopefully) soon. You know, I used to write so much faster than I do now. Anyway, R&R.

Oh, and before I forget, I feel like a I need a beta (by the time I finish the chapter, I'm so sick of it, I refuse to read it again). Anyone interested in getting a slow flow of chapters (like one every leap year)?


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